on the Breeding in Captivity of Turnix tanki. 319


Society’s collection on one occasion only, a pair having been

presented by Mr. E. W. Harper in 1901, which unfortunately

lived but a very short time." 5


Iu a wild state it occurs throughout “ the Peninsula of

India, and east of the Bay of Bengal as far south as Tippera.”

( Ogilvie- Grant).


It is from observations I have made of my examples of

this species that I am about to set down a few notes that may,

I hope, be of interest and value to those who study this extra¬

ordinary and little-understood group of birds.


Mr. Ogilvie-Graut, of the British Museum (Natural

History), is undoubtedly the first authority of the present day on

the Game-birds, and he is the author of a most able monograph

of the genus Turnix, which was published in the Ibis of 1889 (po.

446-475). One of the conclusions he has arrived at however in

studying this group is, that the characteristic adornments of the

females, such as black throats (as in T. taigoor) and rufous nuchal

collars (as in T. tanki), “ are not seasonal or nuptial plumages,

as supposed by some authors, but denote maturity, and are

found at all seasons in fully adult females.”


It will be seen from the coloured illustration that appears

with this, that in Turnix tanki the rufous nuchal collar is a very

well-marked feature of the female, and my two examples of this

sex, when obtained on the 24th of October last, were in perfectly

full colour. However, as the winter approached they com¬

menced to moult, and the collar was completely lost, the plumage

becoming appaVently similar to that of the male, though I did not

handle the birds to examine them minutely. The two females

at this time exactly resembled some specimens in the series at

the Museum which are labelled “immature,” but which, I am

now led to suppose, are really adults in winter plumage. Another

fact which tends to prove this conclusion to be correct is, that a

young female, whose history I am about to relate, has developed

a perfect rufous nuchal collar at the age of six weeks.



Siuce the above was written two more females of T. tanki have been received by the

above-mentioned dealer.



